On Jan. 24, the release states a trooper stopped a vehicle for speeding near Alexandria. After reportedly observing some unusual behavior and items in the rental, a K-9 was deployed to search. Twenty-four pounds of marijuana and $8,200 were seized, according to authorities.

Then, on Jan. 26 in Otter Tail County, a trooper also deployed a K-9 when he reportedly detected signs of suspicious activity following a stop on Interstate 94. The release states around 200 pounds of marijuana was discovered, carrying an estimated street value of $600,000.

Finally last Friday, also in Otter Tail County, a trooper reportedly stopped a vehicle for an obstructed license plate. The release alleges the trooper saw bags located in plain sight on the center console, and a woman was sitting on packaged bags of marijuana. That stop reportedly led to the seizure of 300 pounds of marijuana.

The three stops together reportedly turned up more marijuana than the state patrol seized in all of 2016. Numbers contained in the release show the state patrol seized only 389.5 pounds of marijuana all of that year, though the total rose to 2,642.2 pounds in 2017.

The amounts of other drugs seized by the state patrol also increased in 2017, according to the release. Methamphetamine climbed from 65.7 pounds seized in 2016 to 160.2 pounds seized in 2017. Heroin rose from .49 pounds seized in 2016 to 14.1 pounds seized in 2017. While hashish was up from 2 pounds seized in 2016 to 9.9 pounds in 2017.

Cocaine seizures, however, fell in 2017. The release states the state patrol seized 35.6 pounds in 2016, but only 17.7 pounds last year.